


Out of Commission

by johneggmcmuffin



Category: Free!
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-20
Updated: 2013-12-20
Packaged: 2018-01-05 05:56:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1090417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/johneggmcmuffin/pseuds/johneggmcmuffin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rei catches a cold, and his friend Nagisa comes over to take care of him. Fluffiness ensues.  </p>
<p>A cute fic I got the idea for a while ago, and decided to type up and post here!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Out of Commission

                 “Are you sure you’re feeling alright, Rei?” Nagisa asked curiously, softly poking the taller boy’s arm with his finger. Rei had just finished a sneezing fit, and continued to wipe his nose clean with a handkerchief. The two were heading home from school, sitting next to each other on the train. It was fairly empty, with only the students of Iwatobi High School there, and even then, many didn’t live this far from the school. Makoto and Haruka walked home together, while Rei and Nagisa took the train together. It was a routine thing for the four of them, so no one paid any mind to it.

                “I told you, already.” Rei sighed, using his left hand to readjust the glasses on his nose. They had slid down a bit during his sneezing fit. “These are just the symptoms of severe allergies.”

                Nagisa rolled his eyes. “Doesn’t sound like just allergies to me.” Rei turned his head to glare at Nagisa just as their little train hit a speed bump. Everyone on the train bounced slightly as the train drove over the bump, but no damage done. Rei’s handkerchief nearly slipped from his hands as he leaned forward to clutch it tighter between his fingers. Nagisa continued to chatter on, not noticing Rei’s fumble at all. “What are you even allergic to?” He giggled, turning to face Rei.

                “Hay.” Rei said simply. His nose was horribly stuffy, and his voice was horribly hoarse. Only uttering a single word revealed that much.  

                Nagisa nodded with understanding at first, head bopping up and down slowly. However, his eyebrows furrowed once he realized something. “Hay doesn’t grow during the winter!” Nagisa argued, and he saw the very slight tint of pink on Rei’s face. Was he…blushing?

                _‘I’m just imagining it!’_ Nagisa shook the thought away.

                “And how do you know that exactly?” Rei lifted an eyebrow.

                “My mother likes to garden. She knows about that sort of stuff.” Nagisa just waved Rei’s surprise off. He couldn’t help but smile. He always did when Rei was flustered.  

                “Well, it’s just allergies, and that’s that!” Rei crossed his arms defiantly. This just made Nagisa’s giggling turn into a full on bout of laughter. And Rei always called _him_ the childish one!

                Rei sneezed again. His nose turned a darker shade of red. Nagisa giggled at him. “Just in time for Christmas!” Nagisa bopped Rei’s nose gently. “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer!” He grinned mischievously, winking.

                Rei sighed. “Please don’t compare me to silly stories like that. I don’t share any resemblance to a reindeer.”

                Nagisa laughed. “But Rudolph helped Santa on Christmas Eve! Without him, the presents he made in his workshop wouldn’t have been able to get to all of the children around the world!” He spread his arms out widely. It was during these moments that Nagisa was happiest, other than the time spent during swim club.

                For the rest of the ride, the two boys argued over the significance of Rudolph, and whether Rei’s nose really looked like his. (Nagisa won that argument.) When it was time for Nagisa to be dropped off, he stood up and gave Rei a large hug. Rei looked a bit uncomfortable at first as his body tightened when Nagisa wrapped his arms around Rei’s torso. Perhaps he wasn’t used to Nagisa’s hugs yet. Nagisa finally released Rei from the embrace after a few moments of hugging. He waved goodbye to Rei, hopped off the train, and ran home, backpack bouncing on his back the whole way.

 

                Nagisa’s phone beeped, following with a soft vibration in his pocket. He was riding the train to school-by himself, for once. Rei hadn’t showed up when the train pulled up to his station. Nagisa thought that this was peculiar, but Rei could’ve just ran to school instead. But…running the whole way? Rei was quite the hard worker, but even that goal was a bit too much for so early in the morning. However, it was _Rei._ He could’ve ran the whole way. Nagisa sent a text to Rei just to make sure he was alright.

                Nagisa checked his phone after it had beeped twice, slipping it out of his pants pocket. The screen unlocked to revealed a text message from Rei.

                Nagisa: hey rei!!!! where are you?

                Rei: I’m at home.

                Rei: I don’t think I’ll be coming to school today.

                Nagisa: what??? why not? is something wrong?

                Rei: I suppose you could say so.

                Rei: You see, my immune system has been functioning very poorly for the past couple of days.

                Nagisa: please repeat that

                Rei: I know you can comprehend that, Nagisa.

                Nagisa: please repeat that

                Rei: Fine.

                Rei: I’m not feeling well today. But like I told you yesterday, it’s just allergies.

                Nagisa: whatever you say…i’m pretty sure you’re lying though.

                Rei: I’m not.

                Nagisa: yeah you are!!! I know it. you can’t keep lies from me!

                Rei: Alright, alright. I’m sick.

                Nagisa: tooooooold you!

                Rei: I’m going to sleep, now.

                Nagisa: alrighty! feel better!!! <3

                Nagisa sighed as he locked his phone, and hid it back into his pocket. This was a big disappointment to him. Of course, he didn’t blame Rei for getting sick. But still, he was pretty upset knowing that he wouldn’t have him to talk to during lunch. It was fun to poke and tease Rei. He knew that Rei liked it, as well; by the way he blushed furiously often. But it was also good to have someone at the same level as him to talk to. Makoto and Haruka were experts at swimming. Nagisa always felt a bit behind everyone else. Once Rei showed up, however, he felt that he could relate to someone who wasn’t as good as the rest, even if he was only a beginner. It was nice to have someone like Rei around.

                Nagisa decided to gaze at the scene passing by the train instead of dwelling on his sadness, and continued to do so until the train reached the school.

 

                “Nagisa!” Makoto shouted out, waving his hand. Nagisa looked up from his tray of food, and ran up to where his friends were seated outside. The juice he had sloshed about in its cup, some of which ended up spilling over.

                “You spilled a lot of your juice there.” Makoto said, sighing and shaking his head, but with a smile on his face. It was common to see Nagisa to run about and spill things.

                “Where’s Rei?” Haruka asked bluntly. His dim eyes didn’t show the concern he had for the absence of their fellow swim club member.

                Being reminded of this made Nagisa frown. “He’s home sick.” He pouted.

                “Sick?” Makoto and Haruka questioned at the same time. Nagisa nodded in reply. “He’s been sick for the last couple of days. He just covered it up with the excuse of allergies.”

                “He didn’t look that well…” Makoto began. “…during practice yesterday.” Haruka finished his sentence. Both Makoto and Nagisa nodded.

                “He shouldn’t have gone into the pool!” Nagisa shouted, crossing his arms. “He’s really too focused on trying to improve.”

                “I think so too,” Makoto added. “But he has improved, right?” The three boys stood for a few seconds, before all nodding their heads in agreement.

                Nagisa sighed. Makoto put a hand on his shoulder, and smiled. “He’ll be fine! We just need to wait for him to feel better. I’m pretty sure it won’t take too long!”

                “You’re going to jinx it!” Nagisa shushed Makoto. The latter raised his eyebrows. “Ah, I’m sorry.” He shook his head with mock annoyance.

                “Class is starting soon.” Haruka interrupted. Nagisa and Makoto turned towards him. “Yeah! Let’s get going!” Nagisa said, jumping up from the bench and running towards the exit. The faster the school day was over with, he believed, the closer he was to checking on Rei. 

                “Lunch just started, though.” Makoto said when Nagisa left.

                “I know.” Haruka replied.

 

                The sky was just beginning to spark into its daily show of colors as the sun was setting when Nagisa was back on his train to visit Rei. Cotton candy pink clouds stretched themselves across the sky as they clung to melon colored puffs. He couldn’t help but be a bit worried. Rei hadn’t answered his texts during school. Maybe he just didn’t want Nagisa to get his phone taken away by an authority. This was another reason why Nagisa admired Rei, and not being able to talk to him upset him even more. He had already texted the oldest of his sisters, telling her that he was coming home late. She teased him about having a “cute boyfriend”, but Nagisa simply told her to shut up. There was no doubt she was going to spill it out to the rest of their family. Having 5 older sisters really was a curse.

                The train sped on, leading Nagisa onto a sleepy daze. He didn’t really have any space to lay his head on at the moment, so he resorted to leaning his head against the glass window. His violet eyes followed the patterns of the clouds as they sped away from the sun. Nagisa glanced at the sun for just a second. He knew the dangers of doing so, but couldn’t help doing it a few times. The pinks had just begun to show up, cascading from the sun’s corners and reaching out to touch the ends of the sky. Nagisa shut his eyes to relax, and fell asleep quickly.

                The jolt of the train stopping was enough to arouse Nagisa from his slumber. His face slid down the window glass, smudging the line of drool that had slipped out of his mouth. Nagisa’s eyes fluttered a bit before he was mostly conscious. He sprang up from his seat, and wiped the drool off the window. It worked for the most part. The janitor could clean the rest up.

                The train conductor announced the time and the location of the stop as people began to climb out of the train. Nagisa stood up, adjusted the shoulder strap of his bag, and proceeded to follow the rest of the crowd on his way out.

                Nagisa stared at the train stop’s sign, and looked over at the fence that divided the station from the large ocean. He would have dwelled on the scenery more, if it weren’t for the fact that he had a job to do. He turned from the ocean, and sped towards the nearest convenience store. There, he bought a get well card, some fresh ramen, and a bouquet of flowers. He tried to juggle all three items in one bag, but after the ramen began to slosh about, he removed the cards and the flowers. Nagisa held the card and the bouquet with one arm, and used his remaining hand to carry the ramen. He would have to make the trip to Rei’s apartment quick if he wanted the ramen to stay warm.

                Nagisa paced down the street, careful to not spill the ramen or bump into any other bystanders. The city streets were always busy during this time, when all the busy adults were heading back from work with some last errands to attend to. “Sorry!” Nagisa had apologized after brushing someone’s face with the flowers. The stranger simply smiled, and said that it was alright.

                He arrived at the apartment complex in which Rei resided about 10 minutes later. The ramen was no longer piping hot, but it was still pretty warm. He quickly made it to the elevator, telling the man at the desk that he was visiting a friend. The man most likely didn’t suspect much, seeing the items that Nagisa held tightly with his hands.

                The elevator closed, leaving Nagisa alone in the confined space. He stared at the array of buttons before him, trying to remember what floor Rei’s apartment was on. His memory came to the rescue, and Nagisa pressed his finger on the button that had a large “4” plastered onto it. The elevator moved upwards after a moment, and Nagisa’s instinct was to stare at the ceiling. The bright light made him move his eyes away. The elevator landed on the 4th floor, signaled by the friendly ding that followed after it’d stopped moving. The doors slid open slowly, and Nagisa slid in between them as quickly as he could. He entered the bright hallway, illuminated by the sun’s dying light. He looked both to his left and right, and chose the left side to walk down.

                Nagisa found Rei’s apartment door quickly, and swiftly opened the door. He didn’t bother to knock, and entered the living room quietly, surprised that it wasn’t locked. Nagisa scanned the room, which was spick and span with cleanliness.

                “Rei-chan!” Nagisa shouted, but clamped his mouth shut with his own hand after realizing that right now wasn’t the right time to be loud. He tiptoed across the spotless carpet, heading to the kitchen counter. He deposited the bowl of ramen onto it, being careful not to spill anything. His next stop was right across. He stopped for a moment in front of the door leading to Rei’s bedroom. This time, Nagisa knocked on it. No response.

                “Rei.”Nagisa knocked softly on the door again. He didn’t hear anything. Maybe Rei was somewhere else? He doubted it, but chose to step into his room anyway.

                Rei’s room was a bit plain; notes from school pasted everywhere, even the walls. Nagisa’s eyes led themselves directly to Rei’s bed. There was a large lump under the blankets. Nagisa grinned. He went over to Rei’s desk, set down the bouquet and card, and inched towards the bed. He bent down, and watched the lump breathe in and out for a few seconds. He then took the top of the blanket, and slipped it down to reveal Rei’s face. To Nagisa’s discontent, his face was flushed red, and looked like he was having a bit of hard time breathing.

                Nagisa sighed. He placed a band to Rei’s forehead. He felt warm, but not dangerously feverish.

                “Psst, Rei!” Nagisa whispered. He poked Rei’s red nose softly. Rei stirred a bit, stretching his legs out a bit so that they poked out of the blanket.

                “Rei!” Nagisa said, a bit more loudly this time. Rei’s eyes slowly opened. He seemed to take a moment to recognize who was in front of him. As soon as he did, however, his eyes widened.

                “Nagisa!” Rei said, mouth agape. His voice was abnormally hoarse and weak. He began to sit up, pushing his body upwards with weak arms. His elbows shook slightly however, and Rei collapsed back onto the pillow, out of breath. Nagisa rolled his eyes. “Don’t tire yourself out!” He put his hand onto Rei’s head once again.

_He feels even warmer!_ Nagisa thought worriedly. _I should really do something about that fever…_

                “I was trying to look halfway decent during my illness.” Rei said defensively. He turned away from Nagisa to cough harshly into his elbow.  

                “Well, you still look really awful.” Nagisa added. He wasn’t lying, either. Rei’s eyes were bloodshot, with dark circles underneath them. His hair wasn’t neatly combed, messily sticking up in odd angles. Nagisa could see the chapped lips and deeply flushed cheeks that obviously signaled a cold. Rei squinted at Nagisa. “I need my glasses.”

                Nagisa got his frames from the desk in the room, and instead of handing them to Rei, he proceeded to place them on his face. “What are you-“ Rei began to protest, but began to cough. His coughs were so harsh that they made his whole body shake horridly. Nagisa pressed his hand onto Rei’s chest. “Stop talking now!” He left a disgruntled Rei for a few moments to retrieve the bowl of ramen on the kitchen counter. He dashed into Rei’s room and quickly ran back out, leaving his bedroom door open. “I got some yummy ramen for you!” Nagisa said cheerfully while locating the sink in Rei’s kitchen. He turned it on, a spout of water shooting out.

                “What are you doing?” Rei asked. Nagisa shrieked as his uniform shirt was soaked. He regained his composure however, ordering Rei to not talk again. Nagisa searched the counter, and to his luck, found a nicely sized bowl. He filled it up with water and grabbed a piece of paper towel. He also sent a text message to both Makoto and Haruka before dashing back into Rei’s room. There was no doubt he had spilled some of the bowl’s water onto the floor.

                “Don’t make such a mess!” Rei exclaimed, voice cracking on the last syllable. Nagisa couldn’t help but let out a giggle. His face turned serious though, as he dipped the paper towel into the cool water. His clothes clung to his skin as he applied it to Rei’s forehead. “That should do it.” Nagisa said after adjusting it a few times. He turned back to the drawer, and held the bowl of ramen to Rei, who took it and placed it onto his lap. “I’m surprised.” He said quietly.

                Nagisa tilted his head. “What do you mean?”

                It might have been just his imagination, but Nagisa could have sworn he saw a deeper flush overtake Rei’s face as he responded. His fever was probably just getting worse.

                A few moments passed.

                “No one’s ever done this for me. A friend, I mean.” Rei said finally. Nagisa grinned.

                “Well, let me say that it’s an honor to be the first!”  He grabbed a pair of chopsticks, and handed them to Rei. “Eat up!”

                Rei slowly took some bites of the ramen. “This is pretty good.” He spoke quietly. He looked up at Nagisa again. “Thank-“ He hadn’t even finished the sentence before he began a sneezing fit, similar to the one he had the day before. Nagisa frowned before handing Rei a bunch of tissues he was equipped with in case he’d become sick as well.

                Nagisa walked over to the other side of Rei’s bed, and climbed onto it. He crawled over to where Rei was sitting up. He leaned his head onto Rei’s shoulder, cupping Rei’s cheek with a hand. _Yep, still feverish._

                “Wh-what are you doing?” Rei asked nervously. He suddenly sneezed again, just narrowly missing Nagisa’s face as he did so. “See?” He scolded Nagisa. “You’re going to get sick too and it’s going to be my fault!”

                Nagisa nuzzled his head onto Rei’s side. “I don’t care.” He told Rei. “I’m just glad that you’re okay.”

                This time, when Rei blushed, Nagisa knew it wasn’t because of his fever. He ended up giving a small peck onto Rei’s cheek. Rei stuttered a bit.

                Nagisa told Rei the funny things that happened during class, and what he missed during practice as if nothing extreme has happened moments before. It was such a relief, Nagisa felt, to talk to Rei after what seemed like years.

                “It was as if they were telepathic!” Nagisa exclaimed as he recalled to Rei the way Makoto and Haruka finished each other’s sentences. “I was really amazed, but nonetheless, still concerned about you.” He looked over at Rei. His flush had lightened a bit, which Nagisa hoped meant that he was at least feeling a bit better. His eyes were shut, head nodding off as the bowl of ramen still sat on his lap. He smiled.   

                Nagisa whispered to him, “I love you.”

                “I love you.” Rei repeated. Nagisa gasped. He thought initially that Rei had already fallen asleep.

                For the first time that day, Nagisa gave a real, genuine grin. He leaned over to give Rei a gentle kiss on the cheek. Rei smiled, eyes still shut. He opened them a moment later, however, and willingly reached over to return the kiss-on Nagisa’s lips. A boundary had just been crossed as Nagisa heard the door creak open again. He smiled to himself before retrieving Haruka and Makoto from the living room. 


End file.
